Vehicle parking means



July 29, 193 0. J J. L. ToMP ms 1,771,695

VEHICLE PARKING MEANS Filed 5. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 29, 1930. J. TOMPKINS VEHICLE PARKING MEANS 4 sheet 2 v Filed Aug. 25, 1928 July 29, 1930. J. 1.. TOMPKINS VEHICLE PARKING MEANS Filed Aug. 23, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet a .lllllll'lll-Ill 6 n 2 H m Patented July 29, 1 930 UNITED STATES Joniv L. 'romrxnvs, or coErUs onnrsrr, TEXAS VEHICLE PARKING MEANS Application filed August 23, 1928. Serial No 301,584:

The invention aims to provide new and improved 1 means whereby automobiles or other vehicles may be taken directly from the traiiic lane of a roadway, lowered'to a subterranean area and returned to the traffic lane without interrupting sidewalk traffic.

In carrying out the above end, an elevator platform is provided normally co-operating with'the surface of the street in forming an i uninterrupted trafiic surface. This platform is lowered when a machine to be parked is run upon it, and either the actual parking space or a passage leading to said space is transverse to the length of the street, and it is a further object to provide means whereby the entire platform may be rotated about a vertical axis to permit easy running of the automobile upon said platform into the parking space or passage.

A still further aim is to provide a novel, continuous barrier movable upwardly from the elevator" shaft for guarding the upper end of said shaftwhen the elevator platform is to be lowered.

Yet another aim is to provide unique look ing or supporting means for the elevator platform, automatically releasable by upwardprojection'of the above-named barrier, preventing any possibility of lowering theplatform before the barrier is raised.

A still further aim isto make novel provision whereby the platform may be truly horizontal and disposed in convenient relation with the sidewalk and curb, regardless of the usual transverse crown of'the street.

With the foregoing and minor objects in View, the invention residesin the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings. p

Fig. 1 is a perspective view.

Fig. 2 is a'vertical longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse section on line H of Fig.3.

. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4:. p 7

Fig. 6 is an enlarged .vertical transverse section on line 6-6of Fig. 2.

" 7 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section on line 7 -7 of Fig. 4.

The general construction and arrangement ofparts herein disclosed may be considered as preferred, and while such construction and arrangementwill be specifically described, it is to be understood that the presentdisclosure is primarily for illustrative purposes and that within the scope of the invention'as claimed, numerous variations may be made.

The numeral 8 on the drawings denotes a city street, 9 has reference to the sidewalk, and 10 denotes the usualcurb. The sidewalk is provided with skylights 11 for illuminating a subterranean parking chamber 12 which is here shown in the form ofa passage transverse to the street 8. An elevator shaft 13 is formed from the surface of the street to the passage 12 and the side of said, shaft opposite said passage is provided with a niche 1 1 for a purpose to be described. The wall of this niche is preferably formed on the arc of a circle'as seenin Fig. 5 and opposed sidesof the shaft 13 adjacent said niche are recessed at 15 on the same are.

The open upper end of the shaft 13 is near but outwardly spaced a slight extent from the curb 10, and at the inner side of this shaft, an auxiliary curb 16 is provided, parallel with said curb 10, providing a gutter 17 between the two curbs. This gutter is bridged by an appropriate sidewalk extension 18.

The ends of the auxiliary curb 16 are beveled as at 19 to upwardly direct vehicle 35 wheels if striking the same, and in order that the street surface may be truly horizontal at the upper end of the shaft 13, regard less of the transverse crown of said surface, it is gently inclined to the same horizontal plane in which the auxiliary curb 16 and the sidewalk extension 18 are disposed, this inclination being denoted at '19. From this inclination, a short ridge 20 extends transversely to the street, being disposed centrally at the outerside of the shaft 13, and this ridge has only a gentle inclination and like the inclination 19, merges gradually into the surface of the street to form the least possible impediment to the vehicle traffic. Ridge 20 curb from the crown of the street. The inclination 19 and the auxiliary curb 16 permit the surface of the street at the upper" end of the shaft 13 to be substantially flush with the sidewalk 9, and this curb and the sidewalk extension 18, insure an adequate gutter 17 for drainage purposes.-

A horizontal elevator platform 21 is provided in the shaft 13 and is normally flush with the upper portions of the street surface inclinations 19*, so that said platform and the surface of the street may co-operate in pro Viding an uninterrupted traflic lane car to be parked, is run upon the platform 21 and occupants wishing to alight, may pass across the sidewalk extension 18 to the sidewalk 9. Pedestrians upon this sidewalk are protected against injury, for instance from. a machine skidding as it comes to rest upon the platform, by appropriate posts 22. -After any occupants so desiring have left the machine, a continuous barrier 23 is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 1 to guard the upper end of the shaft 13, said barrier being normally confined in saidshaft. Upon raising of the barrier, the platform 21 may be lowered, and the mounting ofthis platform is such that it may, be turned about avertical axis, as shown in dotted lines'in Figs and 5- when in its lowered position, the .niche 14 and the recesses 15 serving to prevent the platform or themachine thereon from striking any part ofthe shaft wallJ YVhen the machine has been run into the chamber or passage 12, the platform 21 may be turned to its normal position withrespect to theshaft 13 and again raised, after which the barrier 23 is lowered. The entire mechanism is of course operated by an attendant having controls at any desired locations;

In the present-showing, the platform 21 is carried by the upper end. of a plunger 24- which is slidable and rotatable in. a cylinder 25 disposed at the lower end of the shaft 13 and extending, to the necessary depth, said plunger being hydraulically operated or controlled by other fluid under pressure. This is not only a safe and efficient means for lowering and raising the platform 21, but alsoconstitutesa pivotupon which the entire platform may be swung from one posi tion to the other.

- Appropriate guides 26 are shown at the four-corners of the shaft 13 and may be stationarily mounted in any desired' manner. The cornersof theplatform' 21 normally engage the guides 26 but these guides terminate above the plane occupied by theupper surface ofthe platformwhen the latter is lowered, asseen in Fig. 1, Hence, maximum lowering of they platform causes it to clear the guides 26 and it isthen free to be swung by handor power as occasion may demand. The lower ends of the; are outwardly curved as at 27 to assist in 're-engaging the platform 21 with them, when said platform is righted andagain elevated.

The barrier 23 is in the nature of a continuous fence and while it may be operated in any desired way, I have shown it provided with plungers 28 extending into fluid pressure cylinders 29. At the upper end of this barrier, is a continuous horizontal frame 30 having downturned flanges 31 and 32 at its inner and outer edges. Continuous grooves 3.3 and 34- are formed in the upper side of the platform 21 and in the street surface around the shaft- 13, respectively, and these grooves snugly receive the flanges 3132 when the barrier 23 is lowered, at which time the frame 30'is substantially flush with the top of the platform.

Interlocking cogs are provided for effectively holding the platform 21 in raised posi tion, thesecogs and associated parts being most clearly illustrated in Fig. 6.

Gears 10 are rotatably mounted in supports 41 secured in the top of the shaft 13 below the grooves 33 and 34. These gears engage with racks 12 secured to the edges of the platform 21 and similar racks43 secured to the frame 30 between the flanges 31 and 32. When the platform 21 is in its position at the upper limit of its travel and the barrier 23 is in its lowered position, the gears are meshed with the racks 1-2 and 43 and the platform is effectively held in raised position.

Self-projecting safety chocks 35 are provided for effectively guarding the platform 21 against accidental falling. gThese chocks and associated parts being most clearly illus trated in Figs. 6 and 7. Each chock 35 is pivoted at 36 in a recess 37 in a side of the shaft 13, near the upper end of the latter, an d the body portions of these chocks are so offset with respect to the pivots'36 as to cause swinging of said chocks into the'shaft, as shown in Fig. 7, when such swinging is permitted. The barrier 23, in'the present disclosure, embodies certain horizontal bars 38 and vertical plates 39 extending downwardly from said bars. hen the barrier is raised as seen for instance in Fig. 2, the plates 39 hold the chocks 35 in retracted position, as also illustrated in this View. Upon lowering of the guard 23 however, the chocks 35 swing inwardly over the bars 38, in which positions they are inwardly inclined. Thus, these chocks effectively support the platform 21 and this platform cannot be lowered until the chocks are released. Moreover, these chocks cannot be so released until the barrier. 23 is raised. Upon raising of this barrier, the bars 39 outwardly swing and thus release the chocks 35, and the plates 39 hold said chocks released as long as thebarrier remains raised.

The end of the barrier 23 which faces on.- coming traflic when raised, may be provided with an appropriate red light or the like. to

be distinctly visible when raised. At L4 in Fig. 1, I have indicated rays of light projected from this danger signal, and it may be Considered that the latter is inset in any appropriate part of the barrier 28.

Attention is again invited to the fact that the present disclosure is primarily for illustrative purposes. Hence, it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous .variations may be made.

I claim r 1. In combination with a roadway; an elevator shaft "whose upper end opens through the surface of said roadway, an elevator platform movable in said shaft and normally cooperable with the roadway surface in providing an uninterrupted traffic lane, a subterranean area transverse to said street communicating with the lower end of said shaft,

means under said platform for lowering and raising the same and allowing turning of the lowered platform for alinement with said area, and a barrier upwardly shiftable from the shaft for guarding the upper end of said shaft when said platform is lowered.

2. I11 combination with a roadway, a sidewalk and a curb between roadway and sidewalk, an elevator shaft opening through the surface of the roadway near but outwardly spaced from the curb, an auxiliary curb at the inner side of said shaft disposed in parallel relation with the first mentioned curb, a sidewalk extension spanning the space between said two curbs, an elevator platform movable in said shaft and in its normal position substantially flush with said sidewalk extension, the roadway surface adjacent to said shaft being gently inclined to the normal plane of said platform whereby the latter normally co-acts with said roadway surface in providing an uninterrupted traific lane, a subterranean area transverse to said street communicating with the lower end of said shaft, means under said platform for lowering and raising the same and allowing turning of the lowered platform for alinement with said area, and a barrier upwardly shiftable from the shaft for guarding the upper end of said shaft when the platform is lowered.

3. In combination with a roadway; an elevator shaft whose upper end opens through the surface of said roadway, an elevatorplatform movable insaid shaft and normally cooperable with the roadway surface in provid ing an uninterrupted trafiic lane, a subterranean area transverse to said roadway and communicating with the lower end of said shaft, an elevating and lowering power unit at the lower end of the shaft connected with said platform for lowering and raising the same, a barrier movable upwardly from the shaft for guarding the same when the said platform is lowered, and a pivot about which the platform is swingable to permit alinei ment of said platform with said subterranean end of said shaft, means under said platform for lowering and raising the same, and a barrier upwardly shiftable from the shaft for guarding the upper end of said shaft when said platform is lowered.

5. in combination with a roadway, a sidewalk and a curb between roadway and sidewalk, an elevator shaft opening through the surface of the roadway near but outwardly spaced from the curb, an auxiliary curb at the inner side of said shaft disposed in parallel relation with the first mentioned curb, a sidewalk extension spanning the space between said two curbs, an elevator platform movable in said shaft and in its normal position substantially flush with said sidewalk extension, the roadway surface adjacentto said shaft being gently inclined to the normal plane of said platform whereby the latter normally co-acts with said roadway surface in providing an uninterrupted traffic lane, a subterranean area communicating with the lower. end of said shaft, means under said plat form for lowering and raising the same, and a barrier upwardly shiftable from the shaft for. guarding the upper end of said shaft when the platform is lowered.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JOHN L. TOMPKINS. 

